Doklam standoff: Japan has extended support to India and Bhutan even as New Delhi has been exploring ways to resolve the border conflict with China

Doklam standoff: Japan has extended support to India and Bhutan even as New Delhi has been exploring ways to resolve the border conflict with China. (Express image)

Doklam standoff: Japan has extended support to India and Bhutan even as New Delhi has been exploring ways to resolve the border conflict with China, according to Indian Express. Support from Tokyo will come via diplomatic channels. Japan is the first major country to throw weight behind India on this issue. Notably, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit India for three days starting from September 13 to 15, IE reported on August 18.

Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu, who is also concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Bhutan, and his team of diplomats have conveyed Tokyo’s position to New Delhi and Thimphu in the last couple of weeks, according to report. Japan has been monitoring the developments “very closely”. Tokyo believes that the ongoing border stand-off between India and China can affect the stability of the entire region. Notably, Japan has had similar territorial issues with China in the recent past. Indian authority said that Japan understands New Delhi’s position better than many countries as Tokyo itself has been at the receiving end of Chinese expansionism. Japan’s support comes when China has been stepping up pressue. So far no major country has yet come out in support of India vis-a-vis China.

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Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian Delegation participating in Seven Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states meeting on Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations that will be held at Choplon Ata in Kyrgyz Republic from 23 to 25 August.